Lost And Found
by Pineaple
Summary: Girl falls into ME, tenth walker, Legomance... *Hides behind computer* I know it's cliche, but I hope to make mine unique. This is the tale of Summer, a creative, kind, musical, somewhat socially awkward young woman, and her adventures in Middle Earth. I'm a first timer, so I may change this later. Rated T for safety, and because I wasn't sure.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hi, I'm glad you found my story, and I hope you find it enjoyable. I would like to thank my beta TheFuzzyKiwiFruit, who is an excellent author, and has gone above and beyond for me with this story since last summer. I would also like to thank God for giving me my passion for reading and writing. Constructive criticism is very welcome. Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own Lord Of The Rings, or any part of it.

* * *

"I still can't believe you're leaving me all alone," I whined to Kate as I packed to sleep over at her house before seeing her off tomorrow.

Kate had been my best friend since we were children, but now she was cruelly abandoning me to go live with monkeys on a reservation in India.

On the other hand, maybe I'm being a teensy bit unfair; this _is_ an amazing opportunity for her, and I should be happy for her, and I am, but I don't want to be left alone.

I feel like a horrible person who doesn't want her best friend to have the time of her life.

"Summer," Kate said while rubbing my shoulder as I crammed my pajamas into my backpack, "I'm only signed up for a year."

"So far!" I cut in, probably sounding like a whiny prick.

Kate had wanted to be a veterinarian her whole life, and this was her chance to do what she loves.

I sigh dejectedly and shifted my gaze to look her in the eye. "I'm sorry, Kate. I know that you've looked forward to this for years, and you don't deserve to be held back, but I don't want to be stuck here by myself, considering you're practically my only friend."

"Do you think I'm not scared too? I'm going to a foreign country alone. There are diseases, criminals, crazed monkey lovers, and more. Not to mention I am leaving my co-dependent best friend at home. She will probably spiral into some kind of funk, completely lost without me," she teased.

"Well, if you're having second thoughts..." I jested back, ignoring her mock.

"What's that?" She asked, as she noticed me slipping a CD with a letter taped to it, futilely covered by a pair of jeans, into my backpack.

"My jeans. You know, the ones you borrowed and didn't give back for two months," I lectured, trying to direct the conversation away from the object I had hidden in my folded pants.

The CD was a collection of songs, some of her favorites, some of my favorites, and some that were either inside jokes or memories we shared. I picked, played, and sung all of them. The quality isn't much but I did my best with the microphone in my laptop. I had to brush up on my piano skills since my focus for the last couple of years has been guitar.

Well, guitar and learning Elvish. My teachers don't understand how I can give so much attention to Elvish, a fictional language, while I skim along in English class. Kate tells me that it is pointless because I will never use it, but she isn't as interested in it as I am. Also, her mind would go fuzzy whenever it is shown in the movies because of her giant crush on any and all male elves.

Anyhow, the letter and CD were her going away present from me that I was going to give her at the airport when she leaves for India tomorrow.

"I wasn't talking about the pants, Summer," Kate replied, not taking my bait to change the subject.

"It isn't important right now," I assured her, hoping she wouldn't pry further.

"Come on! Tell me," she begged.

"I think I'm ready to go," I said, grabbing my bag and my guitar case, as I stood up, ignoring her request.

We hopped down the stairs, and I hollered to my brothers that I was leaving.

My dad was at work, and my mom didn't live with us anymore. She moved out four years ago to live in California with her boyfriend, so all that's left was me, my dad, and my four older brothers. They were Alex, Sam, Andrew, and Luke. Alex is twenty, and going to community college. Sam is eighteen, as of three weeks ago, with all of the arrogance that came with it. Andrew is sixteen, and almost wrecked our car when dad was teaching him to drive over the weekend. Luke is my senior by twenty minutes, and will never let me forget. But I'm an inch taller, so that helps the matter just a little bit. If I ever bring a boy home, he will need serious therapy afterward. That is, if he lives.

Luke raced into the room as Kate and I threw on our coats. He had had a huge crush on Kate ever since he met her when he was three years old. Kate was five, but she is only a year and a half older than us, so our friendship isn't that weird. We _are_ weird, but she's only been weird a year and a half longer than me.

I'm sure Luke had something totally smooth planned to say to my best friend but once he actually stood in front of her, he just froze there like a deer in the headlights.

"Summer, we really have to get going. My mom expects us at four," Kate said, trying to avoid an awkward situation with my brother.

"Okay," was all he managed to squeak out before Kate and I left.

"That was awkward," Kate said, as we walked out the door, the frosty air smacking us as we went on our way. It's April, but this was Alaska so it's still kind of nippy.

"So," I started, "I want your coat when you leave since you won't need it. It's hot thousands of miles away in India."

"You can come visit me sometime."

I snorted sarcastically, "Sure, my dad would let me go to India by myself."

"You could ask one of your brothers to come with you, then," Kate suggested. "I'm sure one of them wouldn't mind an excuse to go on vacation."

"And on top of that, animals hate me."

"We'll have tranquilizers if one gets too violent. Or if you get too violent," Kate said with a smirk.

We rounded a corner, and started to cross a road that was slippery because of ice. I had gotten almost halfway across when I realized that Kate was hesitating at the edge of the street, unsure of whether she would be able to make it without taking a painful fall on the frozen ground.

I waved a gloved hand at her reassuringly, "Come on, Kate. It's fine. We're already late, so we have to hurry."

She still shifted uncomfortably. "I-I'm not sure about this, Summer. This ice looks really dangerous. There's probably a safer place to cross further this way." She began to advance more down the side of the road.

Letting out a small puff of annoyance that could be seen in the freezing air, I started making my way back to the side of the street. Kate was probably right.

Suddenly, I heard Kate let out a shrill scream.

I turned in her direction, looking further up the lane, and see a pair of headlights coming at me, the breaks of the car useless on the thick sheet of frozen water covering the road.

Frantic honks of the car horn and more shouting accompanied Kate's panicked warning, but the sound of my own fear drowned it all out as the vehicle sped toward me. I tried to sprint to the protection of the side of the road but instantly slipped on the ice and fell to my knees painfully. I sat there paralyzed, waiting for the car to inevitably hit me. I squeezed my eyes shut and braced myself for the impact.

I waited. Then, I waited a little longer. Then, I wondered if this was what people meant when they say that time slows down and everything moves in slow motion right before you die. So I kept waiting.

…

…_What the heck is going on?_ I had been sitting here for such a long time that my fear had all but left me, and the adrenaline that had coursed through my body before was starting to a little effort, I forced my eyes open, unsure of what I'd find.

A canopy of leaves spread above my head; the scent of fresh flowers and warm spring air wafted all around me. Voices, faint but clear and strong, brought to the air melodies incomparable to anything I'd ever heard. I couldn't make out the words, but I just let the sweet tune wash over me, overwhelming every fiber of my being.

"My Lady," a somewhat annoyed sounding voice called out to me, breaking my trance. I turned to see a man—at least, I _think_ he's a man— who looked as if he had been standing behind me longer than I had realized. He was tall, but thin, with long brown hair and gray eyes.

"Sorry," I managed out, still pulling my mind to the surface, wondering how long I had been sitting there. "It's just that I've never heard music that beautiful."

"Flattery? Aren't you a clever one?" he said with a smirk, "I suppose, however, that your apology will have to suffice. Are you traveling alone?"

It finally struck me. How the heck did I forget being almost hit by a car? _Summer_, I told myself, _relax. Try to assess the situation._

I didn't _feel_ like I was hit by a car, and I don't look hurt. I seem to be in some kind of forest. But I don't even live near a forest! I am talking to a strange man who looks armed. Why the heck is he dressed like that? What happened? Am I alive? Is this Heaven?

My breathing quickened, and I felt a little dizzy. I scrambled up from the grassy earth, took a step back from the man, and reached out my hand to a tree to stabilize myself.

"Are you alright?" the man asked concern drawing itself onto his face.

"Who are you?" I stuttered. My entire body was tense, and hopefully it was well enough to defend itself if the man should be dangerous.

"I have no desire to harm you. I am Elrohir of Imladris, son of Lord Elrond."

_... Come again?_

At first I felt my face instantly fall from a determined expression to a blank one, and I didn't respond for a few seconds. Then, I abruptly doubled over to the forest floor, roaring with laughter. My lungs thirsted for air that I couldn't give it. It was like I had a plastic bag over my face. My rib cage was wracked with painful spasms every single breath. It was so intense I couldn't move on my own accord. I almost wet my pants as the laughter overcame me. The hurricane shook my whole body mercilessly as I gasped uncontrollably.

I tried desperately to slow my breathing after remembering I wasn't alone, but I still fumbled through every couple breaths. The man looked down at me confused, almost as if he wasn't sure if he should be insulted or amused.

"From the books?" I asked him, wiping a few tears that had formed from the powerful laughter.

"Oh, so people are writing books about me now?" he beamed back, seeming to recover the wound to his pride he took by my amusement.

Maybe he was cosplayer or something and didn't want to break character. Good for him. But if, by chance, he is insane, I certainly don't want to aggravate him.

"Where am I?" I questioned, bringing the situation at hand back to the surface.

"We stand along the borders of Rivendell."

Maybe I did get hit by the car but was graciously spared a painful death. _Maybe this _is_ Heaven_, I thought, _or I could be in a coma or something and this is all a dream_.

"Are you aware of how you came to be here?" he inquired, breaking my thought.

"No," was all my answer consisted of.

"Come with me, we shall see what my father thinks of this situation, and wait to see if you recover your memory."

Every part of me screamed that this was a bad idea, following a strange, crazy guy, one who was claiming to be a character from my favorite story at that, but what else could I really do?

I nodded, my stomach in my throat.


	2. Chapter 2

I still do not own Lotr and my beta ( TheFuzzyKiwiFruit) is still awesome. Really, check her work out.

* * *

I walked along with "Elrohir," while silently questioning my sanity.

He walked, I should say, I limped. I wasn't seriously injured or anything, just a little banged up from slipping earlier. He offered me help, but it didn't hurt quite enough to be worth the embarrassment of him having to hold and support me. I don't exactly love physical contact for the most part. It's awkward and touchy. Sometimes it's okay though.

"We should reach my home by sunset," he informed me as I nodded, looking at the ground, deep in thought and fear.

_What if I really was in Middle Earth? I couldn't be. That's insane._ I tried to force the idea from my head, attempting to think of other explanations for this odd turn of events.

But I couldn't shake it away. I felt wide awake. Everything seemed so real and clear, and even Elrohir seemed legit. He had pointed ears and everything, though they could be fake. _Hmm_...

_No. That would be weird. No._

I can't exactly ask to touch his ears, can I?

_No, Summer, no you can't._

Yet I still found that the words crept their way to the lips of my big mouth.

"Um, Elrohir," I stammered, "can I ask you a weird question?"

"You can go behind that tree," he said with a chuckle, "Promise I won't look."

"Er, well, it's not that," I admitted, staring at my feet with a humiliated blush creeping onto my cheeks. How do I say that I don't think he's real, especially if he isn't? "It's, um," _I could... yes, that works._ "You see, I've never seen an elf before, and—"

Elrohir sighed cutting me off, "I know what you mean to ask. The answer is no."

"I'm sorry, it was stupid."

"Don't be. You're not the first person to ask me that, but the one time I allowed it caused me great pain."

Part of me wanted to try promising to be gentle, but letting it go may be the better option. "What happened?" I asked.

"Well, you know how some young children have that face that lets them use their secret mind control techniques to pull the ears of unassuming elves who did nothing to deserve it?" he said wincing, as a hint of a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "That happened."

"Who was it?" I asked, as I chuckled at Elrohir's story, wondering if it was someone I might be familiar with.

"The child's name was Estel—not that you would be likely to know him," he mused, "though it looks as if you have heard of him," he added, eyeing the look of recognition that couldn't keep itself off of my stupid face. "How do you know him? At the very least how do you know him by that name? You claim to never to have met an elf, yet very few mortals call him as such."

_Think, Summer, think!_

"I met him before, um, in my travels," I tried, probably sounding like an idiot, "I had a conversation with him once, after he… saved me from a bear." I face palmed inwardly. "He told me then," I finished, following through with my bad story. There was no way he was going to believe it.

"You," Elrohir replied, stopping and facing me, "are a terrible liar. Tell me the truth."

Elrohir was getting kind of scary, and I only made it worse. The jig was up. "Promise to believe me, even if it sounds crazy?" I asked. He hesitated for a moment, but nodded.

_Here goes nothing._

"I am not from Middle Earth," I said as Elrohir raised an eyebrow. "I am not even from Arda," I continued, biting my lip with worry of being taken as a joke. "In my world, this world is fictional. That's why I laughed at your introduction; you were claiming to be a made up character from a made up place. That's how I know who Estel is. I was almost hit by a—oh nevermind, it doesn't exist here—but I could have died or became seriously hurt. But I didn't. One minute, impending doom, the next, my favorite books. That's why I wanted to touch your ears; I wanted to see if they were real. I have no clue what happened, or if it really did. Of course, I know this isn't real, how could it be? I am very confused and scared, and I need time to think this over."

I took a deep breath after my explanation and didn't look at Elrohir for I feared he would laugh at me. I would laugh at me. I am not sure I had ever been that open with a complete stranger before. But my situation is a serious issue and if telling the son of Elrond what happened would help me to return home, I see no harm in it.

"I give you my word, on my honor, that I am real." Elrohir said, placing a hand over his heart sincerely.

"A delusion could say that."

"We are not far from Rivendell. You will tell my father everything you have told me. He will know how to handle this."

"Do you believe me?" I perked up with surprise, gazing at him with wide eyes.

"I promised, did I not?"

I still wasn't entirely convinced, but it seemed like a good start, right?

…

Oh, who was I kidding? I didn't believe it. I looked at the ground feeling small and powerless, tears coming to my eyes my knees coming to the ground.

He crouched down and rested his hand on my shoulder looking me in the eye. Usually I would blush and shrink away—I don't think I've ever been in such close proximity to a male, asides from family members before—but I really couldn't care less at this point.

"Don't worry, young one, we will get this sorted," he said, brushing some greasy brown frizz away from my eyes.

Alex would do that. He always cheered me up. He always cared. And I might never see him again. A fresh wave of sobs came over me as Elrohir stroked my back.

"It'll be okay."

I nodded, embarrassed, as I realized I was crying in front of someone I barely knew. How unsightly.

"Let's go," I said, wishing I could just wake up from this nightmare already. I used to think about how amazing it would be to live in the world of my favorite characters, but it would seem that it's not nearly as glamorous as I had thought.

"Are you sure you can walk?" He asked as I stumbled up on to wobbly legs.

I just nodded and we started off again.

Eventually the leaves and twigs beneath my worn out sneakers faded into lush green grass as the chorus of flowing water graced my ears. Fading sunlight poured over my back as I removed my jacket. I looked up to a breathtaking sight. It seemed to just exude peace and warmth. Was this it, the Last Homely House?

Elrohir chuckled at my childish fascination.

"Why do you look so disappointed?" Elrohir laughed.

"The books don't do this place justice," I said, awestruck, ignoring his sarcasm.

Elrohir walked up to Elrohir and I—_what_?

Confusion knitted across my brow as I narrowed my eyes at the two identical elves, wondering if I was seeing things. Then, my frown quickly subsided into calm realization as I remembered Elladan.

"Elrohir! You know what Father said about you bringing home so many young maidens!" Elladan teased.

"Ignore him. He is my immature younger brother," Elrohir retorted.

"Did you really just pull that?" I asked, smirking with uncharacteristic attitude and volume. "I was starting to like you, and then you pull an 'older twin' on him?" I laughed at the surprise on his face. "Younger twins are _so_ much cooler."

"You're a twin?" Elrohir asked.

"I have a just barely older brother," I replied, nodding.

"Aren't they just so proud? It's like they have centuries on you, rather than minutes," Elladan added, raising an eyebrow cockily at his sibling.

"You just don't have the experience to understand," Elrohir said, smirking.

Just as he finished we reached a doorway. Elrohir reached for the metal handle, engraved with a swirling floral pattern, the same one etched into the frosted glass panels the doors were comprised of. As he pulled it open, I took a deep breath, my anxiety flooding back.

It opened to reveal Lord Elrond himself, clad in a cream colored robe inlaid with gold swirls. My eyes widened at the sight, Elrohir and Elladan hadn't been in the movies, but Lord Elrond looked exactly the same, except the movie didn't quite capture how grand, elegant, and imposing he was. Regal. That's a much better word. I feared to breathe, for risk of tainting his air. The entire scenario was so surreal. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be.

We walked through the doors, and into what looked to be some kind of study.

Elrond greeted us in what I presume to be Quenya. It would make more sense for him to speak Sindarin, but I know Sindarin; I studied Sindarin since I was ten, and that wasn't it. His gaze then drifted in my direction, almost knocking me off my feet.

I need to get a grip on myself, my goodness.

Elladan and Elrohir replied in what I also think is a greeting in Quenya. Westron? No, why would I understand everything else, they wouldn't just greet in Westron. Come to think of it, they shouldn't know English. Maybe I can't be in Middle Earth. Or maybe if some weird supernatural thing brought me here it can do that too. Great. Back to the drawing board.

"I found a child along the outskirts of our home. She has a, unique, predicament, one that I am not equipped to handle," Elrohir returned.

* * *

Hey, thanks for reading. Please review, feedback would make me really happy. Even if you only say a little, it means everything. Whatever you can say, please do. Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

Hey,

Sorry, I know it has been a little while. If I don't feel like writing, and my heart isn't in it, I would rather wait and create meaningful work later, rather than write something half baked so I can update sooner.

Thanks for reading!

Please review, it really means a lot. If you liked it I want to know, if I can do better I want to know that too. Thanks to Firestargold and xEruaphadrielx for reveiwing.

I realize that these chapters are maybe a little short, but I let the story lead the chapters. They will likely get longer.

Elvish is **bold**

* * *

"And what might that predicament be?" Lord Elrond's old, intelligent eyes focused on me.

All eyes in the room shifted an expectant gaze in my direction.

Where to begin? Where the _heck_ to begin?

"I have no clue," I said, bitter laughter finding its way up my throat. "My life as I know it is as good as gone. I should be dead—I have no future! _You_ tell me what happened! I should probably show more respect, but I'm _dead_ so what does it matter?!"

"Summer," Elrohir said soothingly like I was a five year old throwing a tantrum over a broken toy. In fact, I _was _throwing a tantrum. But it wasn't a toy; it was my life.

Why am I so angry? I don't _get _angry. People have walked over me for my entire life _because_ I don't get angry. It's not okay. _I'm_ not okay. Not with being angry, not with being here, not with anything at all!

"I understand that you are scared, however you must explain the problem or there is no solution we can offer you," Elrohir continued, turning me by my shoulders so that was forced to look at him as he spoke. "Tell my father what you have told me." He waved for Elladan to follow as he let go of my shoulders and turned to leave.

I watched the glass doors close behind them, along with my hope.

"Sit, young one," Lord Elrond commanded, gesturing to a chair. I did as I was told, looking at my shoes, embarrassed at my previous display. "What is your name?"

"Summer."

"It is alright that you do not understand everything, Summer, but please tell me what you do know, however little it may be."

"I'm not from here," I answered simply. "This place isn't real." Looking over at Lord Elrond, now in a chair opposite mine behind an extravagant desk, I expected him to counter, or at least—I don't know—show some kind of reaction. But he just sat there. Like a rock. With that same attentive, listening, expression plastered on his stone face.

"I was walking with my friend, almost died—" I went on until he interjected.

"How?"

I faltered, blinking at him blankly as I tried to think of a proper method to explain an automobile in way that would be easiest for an elf of Rivendell to understand. "Well, um, hmn... you don't have them here, but I was almost hit by something called a car. Not like a mine car, but like a carriage with no horses," I started to answer remembering elementary school history. "They go really fast so if it hit something, the impact would be pretty violent, as you can imagine. I slipped on some ice in front of one and while I might not have died, I would have gotten really hurt. I closed my eyes and braced myself, but when I opened them, I wasn't there anymore. I was here. That's when Elrohir found me.

"Where I'm from," I hesitated for a moment, "Arda is a mythical world in my favorite books."

Lord Elrond nodded his head pensively as I finished, "This is a unique predicament indeed," he said, with his concentrated expression deepening. "How old are you, Summer?"

"Fourteen."

"I see. That is quite young to be so alone," he mused," I will take you into my care if you will allow me."

I agreed with a tilt of my head. It seemed not to be much of a choice, rather a formality.

"You are quite tall for your age," he observed. I just nodded again, having heard that phrase times beyond count. I'm not quite six feet tall, and most boys I know, save my family of giants, are significantly shorter than me. Not that I'm that shallow, it just makes me feel weird and manlier than them. Girls are supposed to be small and cute, not 'She Hulks' like me.

"Do you believe me?" I questioned hesitantly, referring to my story.

"Should I not?" the Lord of Rivendell raised an eyebrow.

"No, I just don't believe it myself."

Lord Elrond's eyes softened, "We will discuss more tomorrow. You must be tired; I will have a servant show you to where you will be staying for the time being. You are safe and will be taken care of, do not fear."

"Thank you."

"You mentioned that you slipped, are you injured?"

I absentmindedly pressed a few fingers to various sides of my lower leg and felt a dull pain once in a while. "My ankle kind of hurts, but it's nothing major."

"Let someone know if it still bothers you in a couple of days."

We walked out of Lord Elrond's study, and he tapped the shoulder of a servant and whispered a few words in her ear.

"Hello, Summer, I'm Aesuithiel," the servant beamed. I waved back at her, following her through a hallway. She wore a beautiful red, flowy, dress that kind of puffed behind her as she walked. The dress did not hold my attention very long, as she herself glowed with beauty I could only dream of. Are all Elvish women like that?

Eventually, we stopped at a door, and I followed Aesuithiel through it.

The room was impressive, to say the least. Two open doors led to a stone balcony where a warm, sweet smelling breeze wafted through. The walls were a pale, creamy, yellow. The bed was spectacular looking. It was big, and screamed soft and fluffy. I noticed an adjacent room, and realized just how badly I needed to pee. I twitched for a few minutes before excusing myself to take a bath.

_Ahhhh. Much better_. I took off my dirty and wrinkled clothes and climbed into the tub, turning the left handle as warm water rushed from it. I would have thought that they wouldn't have running water, but I guess it made enough sense. The ancient Romans had it, right? Aqueducts or something like that? Who knows? Best not to question the last bit of familiarity I have.

I found some soap and started scrubbing. Hard. Like I could scrub away everything that happened if I scrubbed hard enough.

_What happened? Maybe I'm asleep? I don't think so. Oh, what am I going to do? How do I handle this? Maybe I was hit by a DeLorean and sent back in time? No. Just no. Am I _really_ in Middle Earth? If I am, what then? Face it, Summer, you can't figure this out yourself._

Eventually I gave up the fight and rose from the tub, finding a big, soft, and warm towel near the tub. I wrapped it around myself and went back into the bedroom, spotting a light white gown and a bowl of soup on the bed. I slipped on the gown and sat cross-legged on the bed with the soup. I practically inhaled the warm, savory broth, Then, I placed the bowl on the bedside table before slipping under the covers and fading into a restless sleep.

* * *

"**Adar?**" a voice came from outside of Lord Elrond's study.

"**Yes, come in.**"

The door opened to reveal Elrohir with his brows knitted in confusion. "**What do you think happened to the child from earlier?**" he asked.

"**I'm not sure. She appeared to be telling the truth, at least as far as she knew. I cannot recall coming across any similar cases before. Her story seems to be woven of truth, and she has a way about her that is unlike the men I have come across. Her clothing is rather unusual as well. Still, she was injured; head injury shouldn't be ruled out before we look too far into this.**"

"**How do we handle this until we find out more?**" Elrohir asked, acknowledging his father's reasoning.

"**We look out for her and wait. We reassure her for she is young and far from home. She needs be taught the ways of this world, even if it is simply her memory at fault. We will go from there as we learn more; that is all we can do.**"

Elrohir nodded and left the room.


End file.
